KTM Off-Road Racing Team manager Ben Grabham has praised Toby Price’s performance in the 2015 Dakar Rally as a display of consistency and strategic intelligence, the likes of which he’s never before seen from a Dakar rookie.

Grabham, one of Australia’s most decorated off-road racers of all time, rode in the last two Dakars, achieving a debut finish before crashing out last year while well placed. But he reckons Price’s effort was even more special than it looked.

Price sealed a fairytale debut in the world’s biggest off-road race when he secured third place in the 9000-plus kilometre, 14-day epic, which culminated in Buenos Aires.

“I knew that barring anything crazy overnight he was going to be standing on that podium today, so as soon as I woke up this morning I rang to congratulate him,” Grabham commented. “Because I’ve done Dakar I know what an amazing ride he’s had to be able to do that straight up.

“I never doubted for a minute that he could beat all those guys speed-wise, but I haven’t seen too many people go and show that kind of consistency and keep themselves out of trouble like he did. He’s got two guys ahead of him with a lot of experience, but by-gee he beat a lot of other guys that have wads of experience compared to him.

“He proved he can use his brain and think a lot on the bike as well. He’s back in a few days and he wanted to come and do Deep Well this weekend, but I know that his brain will need a good rest, then it will be straight into the complete opposite of what he’s been doing – Enduro-X on the smaller 350. But if anybody can crossover, that’s Toby as he proved!”

Price and his KTM 450 Rally finished the event 6m21s behind Goncalves, putting the icing on a spectacular Dakar debut which included nine top-five finishes and a stage win in yesterday’s mammoth 1024-kilometre journey.

Price will now return to Australia and have a week off before the start of the Australian Enduro-X Nationals in Brisbane, on 7 February.